City Council: July 2008 Archives

An item on the City Council's Monday agenda says members plan to discuss the Naperville Park District Board. Councilman Doug Krause championed the idea of the city taking over for the district during his 2007 mayoral run. He also said the city could do away with current Executive Director Daniel Betts' position, a job that pays $145,000 annually. Betts is on a leave of absence less than just four months into the job. The district has not given any indication when or whether he will return.

In 12 years, the district has tried eight different executive directors, several leaving not because they necessarily wanted to. If the council did decide to take over responsibility for the board, voters most likely would have a say in a referendum.

With all the turmoil on the Park Board, what could the city offer in the way of leadership that board members can't seem to find on their own? Would the city being doing more than saving money? What are the pros and cons to this kind of decision?

There's a nine-year wait to get a space in a commuter parking lot in Naperville. Think about that. Nine years. You could move here when your kid is entering kindergarten and he could be in high school by the time you finally get the call: "Mr. Smith, we have a space for you."

There are remote Park and Ride lots, which help. There are bus routes, which, if you're lucky enough to live within walking distance of, can get you to the train. But Naperville, with the two busiest stations in the entire Metra system, and oodles of parking decks for shoppers and diners downtown, has no parking decks for commuters.

Other towns do, like Downers Grove. Why, there's even government money available to help build such decks, you just need to ask Metra and they'll see what they can do.

The question is this: How much would you be willing to pay to park in a deck for commuters near the downtown train station? Three dollars a day? Five dollars a day? User fees would have to cover the costs, city officials say.

Also, the city is doing a study of the area around the Fifth Avenue Station. How important is it to you that the study include consideration of a parking deck for commuters? In other words, with sites like the public works facility ripe for redevelopment, what should be done with that land: parking deck for commuters, or something else?

The great planner Daniel Burnham once said, "Make no small plans. They have no magic to stir men's blood." We see the spirit of this in Naperville in projects like the Millennium Carillon.

Last October The Sun first reported that an entity calling itself the Omnia Performing Arts Association was considering a grand plan for a project around Naperville's downtown train station. Details were scarce then -- and remain so, today -- but the project is said to entail a 2,700-seat theater, possibly offices and/or condos and parking.

Residents of the area are understandably worried, since change can be stressful and no one likes feeling like they are being kept in the dark. Or worse, no one likes feeling like something on a big scale is being talked about in back rooms by developers and attorneys and city representatives and then by the time it comes around for formal public approval it just sails through. Not saying this is how things are done in Naperville. Chicago, maybe, or some other hypothetical place. Just saying, some people want to know what's going on, is all.

Well, they're supposed to get their chance, Monday, at 7:15 p.m. in council chambers at the Municipal Center, when agents from the performing arts association are expected to address questions and concerns.

What do you think about the proposal? With North Central College opening a new theater soon, does Naperville need a privately funded performing arts space akin to the Paramount in Aurora or the Rialto in Joliet? In this economy, how wise is it to undertake such a project? With the public works center near the downtown station becoming available soon, is this the best use for that site?

UPDATE: We received word late Friday afternoon that Monday's meeting has been cancelled. See comments below.